Scouting Turned Off - What does it really mean?

[asavoca]

Hi all,

I am in an online league and I am really enjoying it. The league has decided that scouting will be turned off. Sometimes, I also play a single player game with scouting turned on.

My question is this - with scouting turned off, when I look at a player's profile, am I seeing his "destiny" so to speak in his potential ratings?

What I am wondering is if there is any benefit at all to taking a chance on a reasonable, not too terrible, player and signing him to a minor league contract. Is there any chance at all that he will develop past what his potential currently shows? In other words, can I catch lightning in a bottle here or is it just better to try and build through the draft and trades?

Thanks!!

[TribeFanInNC]

Originally Posted by asavoca

In other words, can I catch lightning in a bottle here or is it just better to try and build through the draft and trades?

Probably some of all of those methods. It is possible to catch lightning in a bottle, especially if the player is young (say 25yo or under). Sometimes older players will also have a good stretch or even good season, but they usually come back to reality shortly thereafter.

With respect to your scouting off question, turning scouting off just means that you are seeing the player's ratings and potential as it looks now. Doesn't mean it won't change, but it is at least an accurate assessment at that point. Turning scouting on just adds some uncertainty to the ratings you see, depending on the level of your scout.

So no, you are not necessarily seeing the destiny of the player just because scouting is off. Development still plays a big role in this. A 20yo 5-star prospect could still turn out to be a dud by age 25.